Image-Based Visibility Measurement

Abstract

The invention provides an image-based visibility measurement solution in which an image is used to calculate a visibility (visual range). In one embodiment, a lighting condition for the image is determined and the visibility calculation is adjusted based on the lighting condition. Further, the invention can obtain image data for a set of portions of the image and estimate a visual range based on each portion. The estimated visual ranges can be combined to calculate the visibility for the image. Still further, multiple metrics can be calculated, each of which is used to estimate a visual range. Subsequently, the visual ranges can be used to calculate the visibility for the image. Even further, configuration data that is based on a set of training images can be used to calculate the visibility for a new image. To this extent, the invention can incorporate the lighting condition, portions of the image having differing features, multiple metrics, and / or feedback through training images to accurately measure visibility based on an image.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]The current application is a continuation of U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 11 / 149,089, filed on Jun. 8, 2005, which claims the benefit of co-pending U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 577,590, filed on Jun. 8, 2004, both of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Technical Field[0003]The invention relates generally to measuring visibility, and more particularly, to an image-based solution for measuring visibility.[0004]2. Background Art[0005]Visibility, or visual range, is the distance at which a target object of a given size and characteristics can be seen. Knowledge of visibility is important for transportation, meteorological, and environmental applications. For example, visibility can be used to monitor safety conditions and / or impose a speed limit along a waterway, highway, or the like. Similarly, visibility is important in take off and landing aircraft, monitoring weather condition...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The system provides a robust and accurate measurement of visibility that is less susceptible to lighting and environmental variations, offering improved reliability and consistency compared to existing methods.

Problems solved by technology

Light scattering contributes to extinction by scattering light from a target object out of the line of vision, thereby reducing the total incoming light from the target, and by scattering light from other directions into the line of vision, thereby adding spurious light signatures to those received from the target.

The second primary cause of extinction is light absorption, which reduces the light available to arrive from the target object, and is caused, for example, by other components of the atmosphere.

Historically, a lack of visibility, e.g., due to heavy rain, fog, snow, or the like, has contributed to more accidents in the various travel modalities, and particularly air travel, than virtually any other cause.

However, each of these solutions is limited.

For example, the transmissometer requires widely separated, precisely aligned components, and fails to account for extra light that is scattered into the field of view.

The nephelometer and scattered light meter do not measure the loss of light due to absorption, and the teleradiometer is limited to measuring the amount of light that arrives from the bearing of the target and is sensitive to non-uniform lighting and variations in inherent contrast.

However, even alone, these solutions are expensive, often large, and the results provided do not always accord with visual estimates provided by trained observers.

However, the measurements are based on the clarity of the air, and not the distance at which an individual can see a target object.

However, current video-based solutions are limited by requiring specialized and standardized target objects for measurement, require expensive, fragile equipment, provide variable results based on the time of day, lighting, and other factors, and require power consumption that makes deployment outside of an urban or suburban area questionable, if not impossible.

As a result, a single measurement of the extinction coefficient will fail to account for these differences.

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